Invasive alien aquatic plant species management drives aquatic ecosystem community recovery: An exploration using stable isotope analysis

Motitsoe, Samuel N; Hill, Jaclyn M; Coetzee, Julie A; Hill, Martin P

Title: Invasive alien aquatic plant species management drives aquatic ecosystem community recovery: An exploration using stable isotope analysis
Creator: Motitsoe, Samuel N
Creator: Hill, Jaclyn M
Creator: Coetzee, Julie A
Creator: Hill, Martin P
Subject: To be catalogued
Date Issued: 2022
Date: 2022
Type: text
Type: article
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/423527
Identifier: vital:72069
Identifier: xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocontrol.2022.104995"
Description: The socio-economic and ecological impacts of invasive alien aquatic plant (IAAP) species have been well studied globally. However less is known about ecosystem recovery following the management of IAAP species. This study employed a before-after study design to investigate ecological recovery following the management of Salvinia molesta D.S. Mitchell, at four field sites in South Africa. We hypothesized that the presence of S. molesta would have a negative impact on the ecosystem food web structure, and that following S. molesta control, the systems would show positive ecosystem recovery. Aquatic macroinvertebrate and macrophyte samples collected before and after mechanical or biological control of S. molesta, were analysed for δ13C and δ15N stable isotopes. Salvinia molesta infestations negatively impacted the food web structure, indicated by reduced food chain length, trophic diversity and basal resources. This represented an altered aquatic food web structure, that in some cases, led to the collapse of the aquatic community. In contrast, after either mechanical or biological control, there were increases in food chain length, trophic diversity and abundance of energy resources accessed by consumers, indicating improved food web structure. Although the study showed positive ecosystem recovery following control, we noted that each control method followed a different recovery trajectory. We conclude that S. molesta invasions reduce aquatic biodiversity and alter ecosystem trophic dynamics and related ecosystem processes, necessitating control.
Format: computer
Format: online resource
Format: application/pdf
Format: 1 online resource (12 pages)
Format: pdf
Publisher: Elsevier
Language: English
Relation: Biological Control
Relation: Motitsoe, S.N., Hill, J.M., Coetzee, J.A. and Hill, M.P., 2022. Invasive alien aquatic plant species management drives aquatic ecosystem community recovery: An exploration using stable isotope analysis. Biological Control, 173, p.104995
Relation: Biological Control volume 173 p. 104995 2022 1090-2112
Rights: Publisher
Rights: Use of this resource is governed by the terms and conditions of the Elsevier Terms and Conditions Statement (https://www.elsevier.com/legal/elsevier-website-terms-and-conditions)
Rights: Closed Access

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Motitsoe, Samuel (Mr)

Coetzee, Julie A (Prof)

Hill, Martin Patrick (Distinguished Professor)

RU DST/NRF SARChI for Insects in Sustainable Agricultural Ecosystems

RU Department of Botany

SDG 14. Life Below Water

SDG 15. Life On Land

RU Department of Zoology and Entomology

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